Related Links

Carnegians Honor Legacy of Dale Carnegie with Scholarship

Contact: Mike Greife
WARRENSBURG, MO (Dec. 15, 2008) - Representatives of The Carnegians, Inc., a worldwide group of alumni of the Dale Carnegie Course, recently presented a gift to the UCM Foundation to endow The Carnegian and Dale Carnegie Scholarship, which will be presented annually to an incoming UCM freshman preparing to study speech communication.

Scholarship Adds to Existing Relationship

The announcement of the creation of the endowment adds new depth to the strong relationship between UCM and Dale Carnegie and Associates. An alumnus of UCM, Carnegie later gained international recognition for his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, and the development of the Dale Carnegie Course, which has provided leadership training for millions of people worldwide. Carnegie often credited the experience he gained as a member of UCM’s debate squad with providing the basis for his future lifetime achievements.

Course Credit Now Available

More recently, UCM and Dale Carnegie and Associates signed a formal agreement with UCM that allows graduates of the Dale Carnegie Course to receive college credit from UCM for the course.

Creating a Sense of Family

In 1949, the alumni of the Dale Carnegie Course formed The Carnegians, Inc., with a $5,000 gift from Dale Carnegie. The organization continued to grow, fostering a commitment to the values and philosophies of Dale Carnegie and strong sense of “family” among its members.

Officers of The Carnegians visiting the campus for the presentation were Robert Kidd, Wichita, Kan., chairman of the board of directors; David Doetzel, Eureka, Mo., executive director; and Howard Redburn, Wichita, Kan., secretary. Also present was Thomas Otley, senior vice president for global services, Dale Carnegie Training, O’Fallon, Mo.

The Legacy Will Continue

Kidd noted the endowment was another way to assure the legacy of Dale Carnegie continues for generations to come.

“Dale Carnegie understood human relations, and his training in speech communication and debate at UCM gave him the foundation of his success,” Kidd said. “This scholarship is a way for The Carnegians to extend that legacy, and we’re glad that our alumni can work with your alumni in a way to help others. It’s something that Dale Carnegie would approve of.”

Continuing the Study of Human Communication

“UCM is honored to be a university that produced an alumnus of the caliber and quality of Dale Carnegie,” said UCM President Aaron Podolefsky as he accepted the gift. “We have been fortunate to be able to develop an important relationship with Carnegie and Associates, and we are very pleased to establish this very important relationship with The Carnegians. Their generosity will allow future UCM students to study and understand the value of human communication.”

A recent gift from The Carnegians will endow The Carnegians and Dale Carnegie Scholarship at the University of Central Missouri. Gathered for the presentation in UCM’s Smiser Alumni Center were, left to right, Thomas Otley, senior vice president for global services, Dale Carnegie Training; Joe Kremer, interim executive director of the UCM Foundation; Howard Redburn, secretary, Thomas Kidd, chairman of the board of directors, and David Doetzel, executive director, all of The Carnegians; UCM President Aaron Podolefsky; Jack Rogers, professor of communication and coach of the UCM debate team; and Terry Cunconan, chair of the UCM Department of Communication.